How Will the Coronavirus Affect the Landscape Irrigation Industry?
In an effort to stem the coronavirus pandemic, the Ohio Department of Health has issued a Stay at Home Order for all non-essential businesses across the state. Landscape irrigation contractors are wondering where they fit in.
Of course, agricultural irrigation is considered an essential function because of its role in necessary food production. But is landscape irrigation considered “essential” or “non-essential”?
Bad Timing
While there’s never a good time for a pandemic, early spring is particularly problematic for green industries. This six-to-eight-week period is peak season. For irrigation contractors, it’s time for spring tune-ups, inspections and backflow testing.
In an open letter to legislators and other officials, available on the national Irrigation Association website, the IA states:
“We are entering the spring months when many irrigation systems will be turned on by the homeowner/property manager. It is imperative that these systems are professionally inspected (in accordance with state and local codes and regulations), ensuring there are no leaks and the backflow prevention device is operating properly.”
The association further argues that landscape irrigation should be included in essential services because:
“We need to ensure water is available for all uses during this health emergency. Ensuring irrigation systems are doing their job and running properly is an essential component in protecting our nation’s water supply.”
There are two separate categories where landscape irrigation professionals could be considered part of the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, according to Homeland Security’s CISA List:
Water and Wastewater. “Workers repairing water and wastewater conveyances and performing required sampling or monitoring.” (e.g., backflow testing), and
Public Works. “Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences.”
The argument could also be made that, since irrigation professionals perform virtually all of their work outdoors, close human contact can easily be avoided.
Economic Outlook for Irrigation
Construction
Guidelines
As of March 31, here are the pandemic guidelines for the construction industry for Ohio and neighboring states.
(Please note: Guidelines continue to change. Check with your local authorities.)
Ohio: Construction on critical infrastructure continuing
According to chief economist Dr. Charlie Hall, before this pandemic, the green industry was poised to have a very good spring. Since the outbreak, there have been supply chain disruptions, massive unemployment, quarantines, closures and negative demand shocks.
The question now is: “Will consumers continue to spend their money in the lawn and garden area?” Currently, it’s impossible to tell.
Dr. Hall outlined four possible outcomes for the current economic recession:
The medical and economic crisis ends in three months and businesses gradually return to some sense of normalcy.
The pandemic is seasonal – decreasing with warm weather and returning in the fall – in which case the economic downturn would last 12 months.
The pandemic / economic downturn persists until “herd immunity” is reached, in about two years.
The pandemic / economic downturn persists until a vaccine or treatment is developed, in about 12-18 months.
What to Expect
Dr. Hall also suggested that green business owners can expect “clusters” of illness among their team members. So it’s important to identify susceptible critical functions, as well as supply chain risks.
Some irrigation contractors may be eligible for federal loans or other benefits. In order to receive them, you’ll have to measure and document the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on your business. Hall also said that this is not the time to be making any big business decisions. Defer those until the crisis has passed.
Growth Opportunities?
The good news is…being ordered to stay at home, people will certainly be spending more time in their yards and gardens. Which means they’ll want to keep their landscapes green and healthy.
Resourceful business owners will use this opportunity to spread the word about the many health benefits of plants. The Texas A & M Extension offers an extensive list of publications and websites which tout the benefits of plants on human health and well-being.
For more information about the effect of the coronavirus on the green industry, check out AmericanHort’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
EPA’s Annual Fix a Leak Week Runs from
March 16-22, 2020
As an irrigation professional, what are you doing to combat water waste? If you’re not sure, then Fix a Leak Week is a great time to start!
According to the EPA, household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually! That amounts to nearly 10,000 gallons of wasted water for the average household – enough water to wash 270 loads of laundry.
And just repairing a leaky toilet can save up to 500 gallons of water a day, the amount needed to fill the average backyard swimming pool.
Plugging Those Leaks!
Fix a Leak Week is the perfect time to check for leaky kitchen and bathroom faucets, malfunctioning toilets and errant irrigation systems. Let your customers know that, by fixing some of these easily corrected household leaks, they can save about 10 percent on their water bills!
Are You WaterSense Certified?
Have you taken the time to become WaterSense certified? If not, why not?
Certification entitles you to exclusive EPA benefits. Such as:
Here are a couple of ways to identify water leaks:
Take a look at the water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four uses more than 12,000 gallons per month, there are some serious leaks.
Check the water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, there’s probably a leak.
Some Easy Fixes
There’s also a simple way to identify leaks in a toilet. Place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (This problem can often be fixed by simply replacing the flapper.)
Most faucet leaks can be fixed by replacing old and worn faucet washers and gaskets. For leaky shower heads, use pipe tape to secure the connection between the showerhead and the pipe stem.
For the EPA’s complete list of leak fixes, click here.
Calling All Irrigation Professionals!
Did you know, an irrigation system leak as small as 1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month!?
Remind your customers that a residential irrigation system should be checked each spring before use to make sure it wasn’t damaged by frost or freezing.
If you’re WaterSense certified(see sidebar, above right), let them know that you’ve passed a government-approved certification program specifically focused on water efficiency. Not only can you help detect and correct leaks for them, but you can also make sure their systems operate as efficiently as possible.
Ever since the 1970s, irrigation experts have been debating the merits of the rotor sprinkler head vs. the spray head.
Of course, each job site presents its own challenges and requirements. But there are some general situations that make either spray heads or rotor heads the best choice.
Pixabay Image
According to Pete Diebolt, president of Diebolt Landscape in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, the type of head selected is dictated by the irrigation system design. “The heads are going to have all different lengths of throw and uniformity coefficient. The distribution pattern, wind, slope and other design factors would have a bearing on the size nozzle and how to program the zones to run,” Diebolt said.
The system design already takes into consideration a host of environmental factors: wind or shade, elevation changes, the square footage of the area to be watered, etc. After that, choosing between a spray head and a rotor head comes down to a few other factors.
Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Spray Heads
More properly called “fixed spray heads” these heads are smaller and spray a fan-shaped pattern of water. Nozzles are typically interchangeable and determine the pattern and radius of the water throw (e.g., half circle, full circle, etc.) Specialty patterns are also available for long, narrow areas.
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Hindsite Software Infographic
Spray heads are usually spaced up to 18 feet apart. Water pressure must be between 20 and 30 PSI of for these heads to operate properly. Note: most spray heads start to create lots of mist at pressures above 45 PSI, resulting in poor sprinkler performance.
Spray Head Advantages
Designed for smaller areas, spray heads will disperse more water in a shorter period of time. So they’re a good choice for areas near patios or other hardscaping that is not intended to get wet.
While spray heads are less expensive than rotors, their installation requires more pipe, trenches and valves.
Justin Moseley is the irrigation manager for Nelson Landscaping in Edmond, Oklahoma. He believes spray heads definitely have their place.
“For flower beds, we use nothing but pop-up spray heads. If it’s a smaller area, from eight to 20 feet, we’re doing spray heads,” he said.
Spray Head Disadvantages
Spray heads are more prone to clogging then rotors, so they often require more maintenance, Moseley said. “In Oklahoma, we have hard water that causes calcium deposits to build up in the nozzles. About every five years, depending on water quality, you’ll have to replace the internal filter on that nozzle.”
Rotor Heads
Rotor heads utilize changeable nozzles that emit water as a single stream over an adjustable. Best example is the “impact” rotor sprinkler, which makes a distinctive ticking sound. But impact rotors are quickly being replaced by quieter, smaller, gear-driven rotors.
The rotor sprinkler head is much more flexible when it comes to spacing; they can be spaced from eight to 65 feet apart. Bear in mind that traditional rotors spaced more than 20 feet apart require much greater water pressure than spray heads — 45 psi, with an operating range of 25 to 65 psi.
Rotor Head Advantages
Rotor heads are usually the better choice for larger areas of turf. They have a low precipitation rate, so they will evenly cover more area over a longer period of time.
About Rotary Nozzles
While the terms “rotor” and “rotary” are often used interchangeably, they really are two different mechanisms.
“Rotor” is a general term that describes the various types of sprinklers that rotate streams of water back and forth or in circles over the landscape.
Rotor heads emit a single stream of water as they rotate.
“Rotary” heads produce multiple streams of water that rotate around the nozzle, resembling rotating spider legs. Depending on the mode, rotary heads have a general radius between 15 and 35 feet.
Compared to standard rotor heads, rotary heads are very small — the same size as the standard nozzle on a spray-type sprinkler. So they fit onto the smaller spray head pop-up bodies.
But these heads produce much less mist than standard spray heads, making them more efficient, and often promoted by water conservation agencies.
“Rotors are used in applications where large areas of turf need to be irrigated, and greater coverage distance is needed, such as on athletic fields,” said Kelsey Jacquard, product manager at Hunter Industries.
And because they allow more time for water absorption, they’re ideal for slopes. With a larger head than spray-type models, they easily provide more coverage, according to Diebolt. “The coverage might be three or four times the square footage. Labor savings is incredible,” he said.
Rotor Head Disadvantages
Rotors and rotary nozzles require less pipe and trenches, but the rotors themselves are more expensive than spray heads.
In addition, rotors may take longer to install than spray heads because their ultimate positioning is not immediately evident, according to Moseley.
“You have to set them and then recheck them after they’re installed. Whereas with pop-up sprays, once I flush them out, I can set a nozzle and know which way it’s going to spray. Be it a fixed or adjustable nozzle, I can set it where I don’t even have to have water running through it to be set. Rotors need a little more fine-tuning,” he said.
Rotor heads are also spaced further apart, so the material cost can be a little more than that of a spray head, Diebolt added.
Rotor or Rotary?
When determining whether to use a standard rotor or rotary nozzle (see sidebar), Jacquard offered this general rule of thumb: “Distances under 15 feet are best irrigated by rotary nozzles, and distances above 35 feet, by rotors. In between those distances, what type of sprinkler head to use is a matter of preference by the designer or contractor.”
Customer Education
For both rotors and spray heads there are plenty of product options. The challenge can be in educating the customer on their individual benefits.
“The cost difference between them is significant, so it’s important to educate the customer on why you are going with triple the amount for one head versus the other,” Moseley said.
Service Contracts Can Get Your Business Through the Seasonal Slump
“If not for maintenance, I wouldn’t be in business today.”
That’s how one irrigation contractor recently described the value of maintenance services for his business. At this time of year in particular, maintenance can be the key to survival in the landscape irrigation industry.
Beyond Winterization
No doubt you are already offering winterization and spring start-up services to your new and existing customers. But an irrigation service contract would go beyond that.
With a service contract, customers pay you a monthly fee to perform general maintenance on a regular basis. By offering your clients an annual service contract, you can augment your month-to-month income by maintaining irrigation systems year-round.
It’s a great way to provide your business with a stable, reliable income while also keeping your customers’ irrigation systems in tip-top shape. And a service contract can save a customer large sums of money in repairs. So it’s a win-win for both you and your clients.
Service Contract Do’s and Don’ts
Do: Try selling service contracts on every install.
Do: Make it easy for customers to see the cost of adding a service contract.
Do: Explain the value of a service contract to customers who need help.
Do: Stay in touch with customers who don’t yet have service agreements.
Do: Explain the bottom-line costs with and without a service contract.
Don’t: Hesitate to offer a service contract to existing customers.
Don’t: Assume some customers aren’t candidates for service contracts.
In addition to winterization and spring start-up, maintenance services offered in your contract should include programming controllers to prevent over-watering in November and under-watering in July. Most clients would not make this adjustment on their own, but it can save a significant amount of water – reducing their water bill and helping the environment.
You’ll also want to include the following services:
Inspecting the controller and ensuring it’s plugged in and functioning.
Updating the time and date.
Checking the connection on all of the wires and ensuring that rain, wind or soil-moisture sensors are connected.
Replacing the back-up battery.
During times of drought, changing the watering schedule to reflect the allowed watering days and times.
Adjusting the Seasonal Adjust or Water Budget on the controller. (This can save up to 60% of the water used over the “set and forget” schedule.)
Turning on each zone and checking for system damage such as:
Leaking valves or pipes
Broken or missing heads
Clogged nozzles
Seal leaks
Sunken heads
Tilted heads.
The Bottom Line
So while winterization and spring start-up are both important, think of them as components in a full array of services which you can provide to your customers through an irrigation service contract. Armed with education and training, year-round irrigation system maintenance can be a natural add-on service opportunity, resulting in happy clients and a more lucrative bottom line.
Need Help?
Do you need help drafting a service contract for your landscape irrigation business? There’s plenty of help online. Check out the following links:
Those are just two of the many reasons that regular maintenance is needed to keep your sprinkler system running efficiently year after year. Here’s another: Damage from lawn equipment or improper winterization can result in costly leaks and other serious problems.
An Ounce of Prevention
Here are a few simple checks to perform on a monthly, annual or periodic basis to ensure your sprinkler system is operation at an optimal level:
Every Month During Growing Season…
Inspect the controller and make sure it’s plugged in and functioning.
Check the connection on all of the wires and sensors.
Adjust sprinkler head positions and spray patterns to avoid watering sidewalks or structures and to provide necessary clearance over growing plants.
Remove obstructions that prevent sprinklers from distributing water evenly.
Check the pressure. Pressure can change over time and negatively affect your system’s efficiency. If the pressure is too high, it’ll result in significant runoff.
Inspect your system for leaks — a huge water waster. This step requires the help of your irrigation contractor. He’ll not only check for leaks and broken or clogged spray heads; he can also advise you about common problems to watch for between visits.
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Once a Year…
Winterize, winterize, winterize! This routine maintenance procedure is critical. Overlook it, and you can expect costly damage to your system. But this is something best left to the professionals. Your irrigation contractor has specialized equipment to flush out the water that could otherwise freeze, resulting in cracked pipes, valves and other parts. (See related article, “How to Winterize Your Landscape Irrigation System.”)
Get your back flow checked. Federal and state laws require that your backflow connection be tested annually by a state-certified tester. (This is typically part of the winterization process.)
Once in a While or As Needed…
Now and then, it’s a good idea to have your system audited. Hire a Certified Irrigation Auditor to conduct an audit and uniformity test. If your system is watering unevenly or improperly, he can make the necessary adjustments.
Replace your controller’s back-up battery whenever you replace your smoke alarm batteries.
Adjust the watering schedule to reflect the current season and irrigation needs of your landscape.
With the proper routine maintenance, your irrigation system will serve you well for seasons to come!
Take a look at the water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four uses more than 12,000 gallons per month, there are some serious leaks.
While spray heads are less expensive than rotors, their installation requires more pipe, trenches and valves.
No doubt you are already offering 
You’ll also want to include the following services:
Do you need help drafting a service contract for your landscape irrigation business? There’s plenty of help online. Check out the following links:
